Suspect in deadly Paris suburb shooting sent for psychiatric observation
He will be observed to evaluate whether his "psychiatric health is compatible with pursuing his interrogation", authorities said.
Suspect in deadly Paris suburb shooting sent for psychiatric observation
A man suspected of carrying out a fatal gun attack near Paris has been taken out of custody and placed under psychiatric observation, French anti-terrorism officials said.
One person was killed and five others were wounded on Friday after an attacker fired from his car, first in Trappes and then in nearby La Verrière, apparently targeting people of migrant origin.
The suspect, identified in French media as 39-year-old Kevin T, will be observed to assess whether his "psychiatric health is compatible with pursuing his interrogation", the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) said.
President Emmanuel Macron described the incident as a "racist terrorist attack", saying people had been singled out because of their skin colour or religion.
He said it represented a "turning point in the life of our Republic and our nation".
PNAT said the decision to place the suspect under psychiatric evaluation came on the advice of a psychiatric expert.
The assessment will decide whether the suspect should stay in police custody and is "likely to last 48 hours", PNAT added.
PNAT also said the suspect was found to have cannabis and cocaine in his bloodstream.
The lawyer for Pengo Bossio Wangi, the person killed in the attack, told French media that placing the suspect under observation was "very rare".
He said it was being used to present the suspect as criminally irresponsible rather than as someone who acted intentionally.
Wangi, a 26-year-old French-Congolese martial artist, was named on Saturday as the sole fatality.
The mixed martial arts club where he trained paid tribute to him, saying: "On the mats as off them, he was one of those who lead by example: present, respectful, always ready to lift others up.
"His smile, his energy and his generosity will remain etched in our walls and in our hearts."
Three of the people injured in the attack were taken to hospital in serious condition, including a 12-year-old girl who remains in a critical condition.
The mayor of La Verrière, Nicolas Dainville, told French radio network France Info on Sunday that he had spoken by phone with the girl's mother and confirmed she was "doing better".
He said another injured resident was recovering, while a third remained in a critical condition.
Local media report that the suspect was known to police before the attack but not to France's intelligence services. PNAT had earlier said he had four previous convictions that had been "automatically expunged".
He is believed to have used an old semi-automatic weapon in the attack, firing bursts from his car window.